Farm Animals

Farmed Pig Swine Dysentery: Disease Control and Welfare

Swine dysentery caused by Brachyspira hyodysenteriae causes severe bloody diarrhoea and is re-emerging as antibiotic resistance grows.

Key Facts

Swine dysentery causes severe haemorrhagic colitis with high mortality in untreated pigs
Resistance to tiamulin and pleuromutilins is increasing globally
Biosecurity and all-in all-out management are primary prevention strategies
Novel antimicrobials and vaccines are in development to address resistance challenges

Welfare Considerations

Swine dysentery causes severe abdominal pain and haemorrhagic diarrhoea causing significant suffering before death or treatment. Resistance to previously effective antibiotics limits treatment options. Prevention through biosecurity and all-in all-out management is both welfare and commercially superior to treatment-dependent approaches.

What You Can Do

Support swine dysentery research including vaccine and novel antimicrobial development
Advocate for biosecurity requirements in pig farm certification as disease prevention
Choose pork from farms with documented disease management and biosecurity protocols